Citation and the Dynamics of Tradition in Livy's AUC

Abstract

This paper explores the function of citation practices as literary devices in Livy’s AUC, and defines the specific dynamics of historical citation against the broader categories of intertextuality and allusion. Building on now familiar work on intertextuality in Roman poetry and especially meta-poetic reference, it argues that Livy uses citation not only to acknowledge his sources but also to place his history within a literary and cultural tradition, as well as to construct and negotiate his own authority within that tradition.